THE MOUNTAIN MAPLE 



TO those fortunate people who are privileged to spend their summer vacations in 

 the mountainous parts of New England the Mountain Maple is a most familiar 

 sight. Over large regions of territory these shrubs or small trees are found 

 along every highway as well as by the margins of every trout-brook, pond or lake. With 

 the Striped Maple it forms the most characteristic feature of the underwoods, and is usually 

 more abundant than the latter species. As a tree it seldom reaches a greater height than 

 twenty or twenty-five feet, and it is mainly a Northern species, occurring throughout the 

 great region south of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and extending along mountainous 

 elevations as far as Georgia. 



The leaves of the Mountain Maple average a much smaller size than do those of 

 the Striped Maple, although they are somewhat similar in form and texture. There seem 

 to be more of them on the twigs and one soon learns to distinguish between the two at a 

 glance. The new twigs in early summer are grayish and more or less downy, but after the 

 leaves fall in autumn the smaller branches are of a distinct crimson color which is most 

 characteristic. Near at hand one sees that the red bark of these twigs is covered with a 

 distinct whitish pubescence which serves to distinguish the Mountain Maple from all 

 other species. Before falling in autumn the leaves turn to a deep red color. 



The blossoms of the Mountain Maple do not develop until early in summer, after 

 the leaves have reached their full size. These blossoms are borne on the ends of the new 

 season's twigs in racemes, which have the appearance of panicles and are not so drooping 

 as is the case with most of the other Maples. There is the same variability as to staminate 

 and pistillate flowers that is found in the Striped Maple, and the fruit matures very slowly 

 through the summer, ripening in autumn and often remaining upon the trees well into the 

 winter. 



During the summer months these fruits take on most wonderful hues of red and 

 furnish one of the most attractive features of the landscape. The individual samaras are 

 smaller than those of any other of our native Maples and are borne on slender, thread-like 

 pedicels. 



It seems strange that the Mountain Maple is not more largely used in landscape 

 gardening. At all seasons of the year it furnishes beautiful coloring. It is eminently 

 hardy, and is not likely to grow too high for effective use among shrubbery. It apparently 

 is entirely free from insect and fungus enemies, and it certainly has sufficient merit to be 

 extensively planted. 



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